Buckle.



WVZMI PATENTS-D MAR. 19, 1907.

A. K. LOVBLL.

BUCKLE. APPLICATION IILEDIDBQ. 24. 1900. RENEWED HAY 14,1906.

WITNESSES.

Tu: NORRIS'PETIRS co, WASHINGTON, 0. c4

ALBERT K. LOVELL, on NEW YORK, N. Y.

BUCKLE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented March 19, 1907.

Application filed December 24, 1900. Renewed May 14, 1906. Serial No. 316,633, 7

T0 at, "whom it may concern;

Bev it known that I, ALBERT K. LovELL, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of New York, in the county of New York and State of New York, "have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Buckles, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to an improvement in buckles; and it consists in certain details of construction, to be more fully set forth in the following specification.

To enable others to understand my invention, reference is had to. the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 represents a buckle made of round wire, embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a detail view of the tongue-frame. Fig.

3, is a side elevation of the buckle shown at Fig. 1 looking in the direction 'of arrow a, showing also a cloth strap therein. Fig. 4 is a broken detail view of the forward end of a round-wire buckle-frame having depressions therein for the prongs of the tongue. Fig. 5 is a complete buckle having a frame made of flat wire. Fig. 6 is an enlarged broken. detail view of the free end of a tongue curved downwardto protect the oint. Fig. 7 is a buckle made of round wire, with illlGtWO prongs of the tongue twisted about each other to make a single prong to be used for leather straps. Fig.' 8 is a detail view of a modification of the buckletongue for leather. Fig. 9 is a buckle made of'round wire, having a cross or loop bar attached to the vertical sides of the tongue. Fig. 10 is a broken detail view of the tongue shown at Fig. 9, showing a depression in the body thereof for the accommodation of the said cross or loop bar. Figs. 11 and 12 are modified constructions of the tongue.

Its construction and operation are as follows:

1 represents the top rail of the buckleframe; 2 and 2 the vertical sides of said frame. In the construction of thebuckle the free ends of these vertical sides are made long enough to be formed into the horizontal inwardly-extending coils 2 and 2, which coils encircle the horizontal rail 3 of the tongue, the extreme ends 2? and 2 meeting at the center. It will be understood, however, that the horizontal bar 3 of the said tongue works freely within these coils.

In the ordinary buckle used for clothing there are two prongs 4 and 5, as seenat Figs. 1, 2, 3, 5, and 9, said prongs closing upon feature of the tongue prongs serves a threefold purpose, viz The "tongue and frame are firmlylocked together, which will effectually prevent the top rail 1 of the frame becoming distorted or bent when the buckle is subjected to an undue strain. This feature of curving the end of the holding-prong and its engagement with the top rail of the buckleframewill also prevent the said prong being bent so as to slip through the buckle-frame, as often happens in the present buckles now in use.

The sharp curved point is more easily forced into the cloth (designated by then'u meral 7, Fig. 3) by 'thesimple act of closing the tongue down upon the buckle-frame than the old way of forcing the ordinary straight-pointed tongue into the cloth a longitudinal movement. Lastly, the point of the tongue is fully protected, so that all danger of its coming in contact with the hand of the user Or he dan of a h n i o r P of the clothing is entirely obviated. The advantage shown at Fig. 3, where the end of the tongue is embedded into oi re'n ters the cloth after the buckle is closed, increases the holding power of the bllfikle on the cloth, as well as fully covering the sharp point of the. said tongue.

In Fig. 4 is shown the depressions 8 in the top rail 1 of the buckle -frame, which depressions can be used, if desired, so, that the outer curved portion of the end of the tongueprongs will be flush with the outer surface of said rail. I

In the flat-wire buckle shown at Fig. 5, the holes 9 may be formed 'in the top rail 1 to receive the curved ends of the ton ue. However, it will be understood that t .ese curved ends can'embrace the outer surface of the rail, the same as in the round-wire construction;

but said holes will give a more finished appearance in a flat-wire buckle.

As ordinary harness-buckles or buckles for leather straps are constructed with asingle tongue journaled on the'lower horizontal rail improved buckle are.

of the buckle -frame, I have twisted the former free ends or prongs 4 and 5 of my tongue to make the single prong 10, as shown at Fig. 7. As this single prong is intended to enter a hole formed in a leather strap, the extreme point of its curved end is therefore blunt or rounded. The rest of the buckle is constructed similar to that shown at Fig. 1.

The application of my principle of journaling the horizontal rail of the tongue within the coiled bearing formed by the free ends of the buckle-frame is. of great advantage in harness-buckles or buckles for leather straps, as the strap to which the buckle is attached will embrace the coils which form the base of the buckle without resorting to the necessity of cutting an elongated slit in the body of the strap to admit the tongue of an ordinary buckle before the strap can embrace the bottom rail. This elongated slit greatly weakens the strap, as breakage usually occurs at that point. Besides, my form of buckle gives a larger opening for the admission of the free end of either a cloth or leather strap.

In Fig. 8 isshown a modification of the buckle-tongue, which is made of a single piece of wire, as all the other tongues of my In this modification the prong 1 1 is made by folding the wire upon itself, so as to give the necessary strength to said prong. In this construction it would of course be impossible to form the lower rail 3 of one continuous piece. Therefore there is a break therein, as shown.

In Fig. 11 the free ends 4 and 5 are brought together and brazed, so as to make a single-prong buckle for leather.

In Fig. 12 is shown still another modification of the single prong adapted for use on buckles for leather straps. In this construction one of the free ends 5 is looped about the base of the single-wire prong 'In Fig. 9 is shown means whereby a loop adapted to receive the free end of a leather or cloth strap is provided. 12 is a bar looped about the vertical arms 13 and 14 of the tongue. This will enable the free end of the strap being inserted between said bar and the coils 2 and 2. To keep this bar from shifting up or down these arms, the depression 15 can be formed in said arms, as shown at Fig. 10, and the loops 12 can embrace such de pression.

The gist of my invention lies essentially in forming a coil in the free ends of the vertical sides of the buckle-frame and arranging said coiled portions in a horizontal position to form the base of the buckle, and also a bearing for the base-rail of the buckle-tongue, saiil base-rail being journaled within said 001 s. 7

By arranging the coils 2 and 2 so that the same extend inwardly, and thereby form alined prolongations of the sides 2 and 2 which prolongations lie in parallel relation with the rail 1, a strong bearing-surface is provided for the attachment of a strap of cloth or leather to the buckle-frame in lieu of to the journal-bar of the tongue portion, so that liability of the frame being distorted or bent incident to the strain. of the strap thereon is reduced to a minimum and perfect protection from bending and distortion is afforded the journal-bar of the tongue portion. Moreover, as the extremities of the sides 2 and 2 terminate at the inner ends of the coils said extremities are pract' :all y hidden from view and the coils present the appearance of a continuous coil, thereby greatly enhancing the ornamental ell'ect of the buckle.

It will also be seen that the coils 2 and 2 provide a support for the loop of the attaching-strap on the exterior of the coils, while their interiors provide a bearing in which the journal-bar of the tongue may freely work. The journal-bar is thus free to operate without liability of being impeded by the loop of the attaching-strap, and the latter is firmly supported from contact with the tongue portion.

It is a well-known. fact that the base oil tongues or prongs for safety-pins and devices of like character have been formed. into coils, said coils embracing the base-rail of the frame with its free end anchored to the'lrame. In these constructions the coiled portions are, correctly speaking, springs to exert a tension on the prongs. In my construction, as before mentioned, the coiled portions of the vertical sides of the frame form a bearing for the base-rail of the tongue and is in no sense a spring.

The feature shown of curving the end of the holding-prong for either cloth or leather straps is not only applicable to my improved buckle, but it is adapted for buckles generally.

The buckle above described possesses the advantage not only of being strong, but it is also designed with a view to cheapness, as it can be wholly constructed on an automatic machine.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by .lJetters Patent, is-

1.. In a buckle, the combination with a frame the sides of which are provided with inwardly-extending coils forming a support for an attas'hing-strap on the exterior of said coils, the extremities of said sides terminating at the inner ends of said coils, of a tongue portion journaled in said coils and closing upon said frame.

2. In a buckle, the combination with a frame the sides of which are provided, with inwardly-extending coils forming a support for an attaching-strap on the exterior of said coils, said coils being alined and lying in parallel relation to the top rail of said frame, the

3. In a buckle, the combination with a frame the sides of which are provided with inwardly-extending coils forming a support for an attaching-strap on the exterior of said coils, the extremities of said sides terminating at the inner ends of said coils, of a tongue portion journaled in said coils and closing upon said frame, said tongue portion being provided with prongs which overlap the top rail of said frame.

4. In a buckle, the combination with a frame, the sides of which are provided with inwardly-extending coils forming a support for an attaching-strap on the exterior of said coils, the extremities of said sides terminating at the inner ends of said coils, of a tongue portion journaled in said coils and closing upon said frame, said tongue portion being provided with prongs having their extremities sharpened and bent at right angles, whereby the said extremities extend over and around the outer side of the top rail of the frame and occupy a 'position to reenter the strap engaging said prongs.

5. In a buckle, the combination with a frame, of a tongue portion journaled thereon and provided with prongs, the extremities of said prongs being sharpened and bent at right angles, whereby said extremities extend over and around the outer side of the top rail of the frame and occupy a position to reenter the strap engaging said prongs.

6. In a buckle, the combination with a frame the sides of which are provided with inwardly-extending coils forming a support for an attaching-strap on the exterior of said coils, the extremities of said sides terminating at the inner ends of said coils, of a tongue portion j ournaled in said coils and closing upon the frame, said tongue portion having a plurality of prongs spaced from each other to close upon the frame at separated points.

7. In a buckle, the combination with a frame the sides of which are provided with inwardly-extending coils forming a support for an attaching-strap on the exterior of said coils, the extremities of said sides terminating at the inner ends of said coils, of a tongue portion journaled in said coils and closing upon the frame, said tongue portion having a plurality of prongs spaced from each other to close upon the frame at separated points, and

a loop-bar arranged upon the tongue portion and extending between the prongs thereof. Si ned at Bridgeport, in the county of Fai eld and State of Connecticut, this 21st day of December, A. D. 1900.

ALBERT K. LOVELL. 

